If you don’t follow me on Instagram or Twitter (probably for the best) then you won’t know, but I’m pregnant! Argh! That still feels weird to admit, mainly because I’m currently pregnant enough for all my clothes to be uncomfortable but not pregnant enough for strangers to pick up on it, I just look like I ate too much at an all-you-can-eat buffet and didn’t get much sleep the night before.
Here’s the proof, anyway! I don’t have any weird cravings yet but what has seemed to happen is that I’ve lost my filter, so you’ll have to excuse my bluntness around here lately. I think I even surprised my Mum the other day. Maybe it’s actually my age, but I just don’t seem to feel the need to think before speaking out loud any more.
Anyway, you’re here for a review, so let me get started. To avoid the ‘advice’ and horror stories from friends and family, I instead turned to movies to find out more about what pregnancy might bring me. I thought What to Expect When You’re Expecting might bring me that.
Attempting to follow that age old ‘Love Actually’ formula, this movie features 5 different couples and tells their pregnancy stories. The couples range from super wealthy and famous and their planned pregnancy, to a younger couple facing a dilemma after a one night stand. The cast is decent, with familiar faces such as Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock and Joe Manganiello. Something for everyone!
The movie falls flat for 3 different reasons. Reason the 1st is the same problem all these ‘interconnecting stories’ kind of movies have, there are so many characters with so little time to develop them that as a viewer, I simply don’t care enough about them. In fact, the only character I really connected with was Rosie (Anna Kendrick) and her story was so sad that I wondered why I was sat crying during a comedy movie.
Which brings me to reason numero dos. Is this a comedy, a romance, or a drama? It’s all of them, and none of them. It has 3 great actors well known for their comedic roles (Anna Kendrick, Chris Rock & Rebel Wilson) and yet I didn’t laugh once. One storyline as I mentioned is heart-destroyingly (now I’m just making words up) upsetting, and as a pregnant lady with moods swings this entire movie threw me off balance.
The last reason is that I didn’t really learn much about what to expect now I’m expecting, other than the fact that people are can be real a$$holes, and I kinda knew that already. Based on my own experiences so far, here’s what this movie was missing:
- A character marvelling at how their breasts have doubled in size in just 3 months, and their joy in going bra shopping for the first time since they were 13.
- At no point did I see any character need to pee like their life depend on it, and especially not 5 times in 1 hour.
- Food featured heavily in this movie (I notice food all the time now) and yet no one felt the need to devour an entire sponge cake, or go completely off their favourite food.
- No one told any character ‘Oh my gosh, you look more pregnant than the last time I saw you!’ followed up by said person receiving a fist to the face.
- Also, no one revealed their pregnancy and got the reaction of ‘I knew you’d been eating loads lately!’ again followed up by said person receiving a fist to the face.
Pregnancy is wonderful, you guys. Unlike this movie. Which gets 2 sponge cakes out of 5 from me, because that’s probably all I could eat without being sick. Probably.
Often Off Topic 
Congrats on your pregnancy!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Congratulations! And brilliant review. 🙂 I haven’t seen many pregnancy-related movies, but Away We Go is pretty good!
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Oooh, thank you x2! I haven’t heard of Away We Go but I’m going to check it out now 🙂
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First of all, congratulations! I do love this film, but I can’t help but agree that it may not have been overly beneficial for preparing for the arrival of a baby.
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I realise I’m being a bit of a jerk asking for a comedy movie to give me some sort of information, but pick a better name, haha!
Oh and thank you 🙂
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You’re not being a jerk at all, at the very least the film will help you understand what not to do with a child haha
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I quite enjoy it too. But, I think it is best watched once you’ve been through it. Some of the bits hit home. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it before.
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That’s a good point! I’ll make a mental note to give it a rewatch 🙂
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YOUR’RE PREGNANT?! I didn’t know! I follow you on twitter! how did I miss that?
Well congratulations and may God protect your child from absorbing ANY of my tweets or posts you may read.
As for this movie I barely remember it, I know I saw it for Banks and Wilson but it was so forgettable the plot escapes me…was ManJello there playing some guys the dudes envied? I remember him shirtless,,,my memory for shirtless men is unmistakable.
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BECAUSE I’M SO SNEAKY! My poor child won’t have hearing for another 2 weeks or so but after that it’s gonna have to put up with watching a bajillion Ryan Reynolds or Adam Driver movies…so it’s screwed before it’s even born!
You remembered right! Every time they’re in the park he jogs past them and they start chanting his name…honestly that was the only funny part I think 😀
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And do not watch “We Neeed to talk About Kevin”. Don’t.
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But……but……now I really want to….
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I read We Need To Talk About Kevin right after my kid was born. It made me cuddle him extra lol.
Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you and your husband. 🙂
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congrats Allie! so pleased for u guys! enjoy the time before u no longer have one on one time!
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Thank you Rob! 😀
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And savour the nights you can sleep through… 😉
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Congrats! I’m like Sati. I follow you, too, but somehow I missed this. Wow!
As for the movie, it sucks. There were definitely no laughs and, to be honest, I don’t even remember what Kendricks’s storyline was. Ugh…just an awful movie.
One thing missing from what your list of what’s missing from this movie: strangers invading your personal space by trying to rub your belly. Obviously, I’ve never been pregnant, but I remember this being an issue for a number of women I know.
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Thanks Dell!
I think I should just know by now that these ‘interconnecting couples’ movies just aren’t any good!
I am in NO WAY looking forward to strangers trying to touch and rub my belly…why do people think that’s okay?!
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Congratulations Allie! I believe the only pregnancy-related film I’ve seen is Knocked Up and it wasn’t terrible. Actually, I quite enjoyed it.
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Oooh I forgot about Knocked Up, I haven’t seen that in years!
Thank you 😀
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Oh my gosh! Congrats Allie! I wasn’t “expecting” this movie to be any good from the get go. Because how the heck can you make a movie based on a self-help book?! Lovely review. Made me smile. 🙂
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Thank you! I don’t think I was expecting a masterpiece either, but with some crude and realistic jokes it could have definitely been better!
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Late to the party, but super-duper congrats on being pregnant! That’s fantastic. Oh the joys of those soul-sucking monsters! Trust me it’s the best (mostly…).
As for this movie, which is entirely unenjoyable, all I remember is that I hated it. I think I watched it when my wife was expecting our little girl and she wasn’t a fan.
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Thank you dude! I bet I could write a list of yays and boos on being pregnant already, ha!
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